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Cottonwood Fire

At 2 am on July 3,2017 there was a fire at Cottonwood Community Gardens and our greenhouse and the attached tool/bee shed burnt to the ground. Arson is suspected. Nothing was salvageable from the fire and apart from the building itself, the largest loss is the beekeeping supplies. These include a community honey extractor, honey bucket, filters, decappers (lent out to the public for free), protective clothing for free lessons and beekeeping tools, boxes and frames. The Strathcona Beekeepers Association and the Cottonwood Beekeeping Coop are two of the groups that use the garden. They provided free beekeeping lessons to the public and honey for the community garden and foodbank. This shed also held our pruning, irrigation and construction tools and supplies.
Cottonwood is a volunteer organization that operates on a shoestring — our funds come mainly from our yearly plot fees. We're asking for your financial support to help us to rebuild and resupply our garden and beekeeping operation. Thanks.

Vancouver Honey Bee Swarm Rescue

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An Inconvenient Truth

Musings

The Strathcona Beekeepers meet on the last Sunday of each month during the bee season. Everyone is welcome. For more information contact us at strathconabeeatgmaidotcom.

Join the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge

Ohio State University has created a free honey bee biology and beekeeping course based on Dr. Reed Johnson's for-credit OSU Beekeeping Course. The free course consists of video lectures, handouts and readings presented on iTunes which is a free download. The course is extensive and consists of 138 segments covering every aspect of bees and beekeeping. To access this course click on the image above.

Australia and Neonics

The Truth:“I can tell you with all certainty that neonicotinoids are killing and damaging thousands of beehives in Australia. But beekeepers won’t speak up because they need the relationship with the farmers.” Gibbs also remarks that while old organophosphates kill bees outright, death via neonics is very slow and more pervasive. It can take the hive down over months and it can take months to bring the bees back. “The fuckers… so much money and lobbying behind them.” Beekeepers in Australia have been able to survive, explains Gibbs, because after being exposed to neonics, they can run their hive into the forests for fresh nectar and pollen (primarily red gum and iron bark trees). Australia is a worldwide excuse for insecticide companies who are blaming Varroa mite for bee colony collapse overseas and claiming that Australian bees are healthy. Given the present situation of most beekeepers in Australia, this is not only a joke but an insult. The only winners here are the pesticide corporations, making a mockery of your present hardship.